Muhammad Imad Abbas

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s top intelligence official, Lieutenant General Asim Malik, has arrived in Istanbul to resume negotiations with the Afghan Taliban leadership, security sources told Pakistan TV Digital on Wednesday.&nbsp;Malik, the Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), is expected to meet Afghanistan&rsquo;s interim intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq as both sides enter the next phase of talks on the ongoing ceasefire and cross-border security arrangements.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif earlier confirmed the delegation&rsquo;s travel plans and reiterated that Islamabad expects decisive action against militant groups operating from Afghan territory, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).&nbsp;The ceasefire was initially agreed in Doha on October 18&ndash;19 and reaffirmed during last week&rsquo;s discussions in Istanbul. A principal-level meeting is scheduled for November 6 to finalize implementation details, including the establishment of a joint monitoring and verification mechanism.&nbsp;Afghan spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has said that both sides will continue talks to address remaining issues, stressing Kabul&rsquo;s desire for stable, respectful, and non-interfering bilateral relations.&nbsp;Officials describe the progress as a significant move toward regional stability, while underscoring that the ceasefire remains conditional on Afghan territory not being used for attacks in Pakistan.&nbsp;&ldquo;This outcome reflects patience, diplomacy, and firm commitment to national interest,&rdquo; one official said.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistani and Afghan Taliban delegations meet again today in Istanbul to finalize ceasefire implementation and anti-terror measures.

Pakistan intelligence chief in Türkiye for crucial Afghan talks

Mariam Ellahi

ISLAMABAD: The second round of talks between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban has formally begun in Istanbul, T&uuml;rkiye, official sources confirmed on Saturday. The latest engagement follows the first round of discussions in Doha, where both sides agreed to a ceasefire after days of cross-border clashes. According to sources who spoke with Pakistan TV Digital, the Istanbul discussions are centered on a three-point agenda: establishing a joint monitoring and oversight mechanism to curb cross-border militant movements; ensuring respect for national sovereignty under existing laws and international obligations; and addressing issues related to trade flows, refugee repatriation, and the separation of bilateral matters from domestic politics. Exploring long-term political understandingOfficials also noted that both sides are exploring the possibility of reaching a longer-term political understanding. Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi speaking at a weekly briefing on Friday, called the Doha engagement a &ldquo;positive marker.&rdquo; &ldquo;There has been no major full-scale terrorist attack emanating from Afghan soil in the last two to three days,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We would like the trend to continue in Istanbul and post-Istanbul.&rdquo; On the Afghan side, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid earlier confirmed on X that Deputy Interior Minister Haji Najib is leading Kabul&rsquo;s delegation, noting that &ldquo;the remaining issues will be discussed at this meeting.&rdquo; Islamabad&rsquo;s primary expectationAndrabi reiterated that Pakistan&rsquo;s central objective is to stop attacks originating from Afghan territory, adding that the ceasefire &ldquo;by and large still stands.&rdquo; Pakistan has faced a renewed surge in militancy in its western border regions since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Clashes escalated earlier this month when Afghan forces targeted Pakistani posts while Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was on an official visit to India. Officials in Islamabad say the decision to re-enter dialogue was made at Kabul&rsquo;s request and through mutual understanding to pursue de-escalation. Pakistan maintains that continued engagement is vital for regional peace and stability. Prelude to Istanbul talksThe talks come after a series of deadly militant attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including incidents in Central Kurram and Dera Ismail Khan that claimed the lives of at least 28 Pakistani security personnel, among them senior officers. Following the attacks, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan would send a delegation to Afghanistan due to &ldquo;unbearable&rdquo; security concerns. Hours later, explosions were reported in Kabul, which the Taliban blamed on Islamabad. Pakistan did not immediately comment. Subsequently, Pakistan conducted aerial strikes in Paktika&rsquo;s Birmal district, which the military described as targeting militant hideouts. The next day, on October 11, clashes erupted along multiple points of the 2,604-kilometer border. Afghanistan&#39;s 201st Khalid bin Walid Army Corps claimed the attacks were in response to Pakistan&rsquo;s earlier strikes. Pakistan countered by targeting several Afghan bases and also temporarily closed the Spin Boldak crossing. A temporary 48-hour ceasefire was reached on October 15 and later extended until the Doha round of talks, which took place last week with Qatar and T&uuml;rkiye mediating. Qatar&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry stated that both sides agreed to an immediate ceasefire and committed to further follow-up meetings to ensure implementation and stability.

Security

Focus on establishing a verifiable monitoring mechanism, Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban resume talks in Istanbul after a Doha-brokered ceasefire, following deadly cross-border clashes and strikes on militant hideouts along the Pak-Afghan frontier

Pakistan, Afghan Taliban in second round of talks in Istanbul: sources

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BANGKOK: A bipartisan group of US lawmakers pushed for more military-to-military dialogue in a meeting Sunday with China&#39;s Premier Li Qiang, a rare congressional visit since the US-China relations soured. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The last trip by a group of senators was in 2023, and Sunday&#39;s delegation was the first from the House of Representatives to visit Beijing since 2019. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Li welcomed the delegates led by Rep. Adam Smith called it an &ldquo;icebreaking trip that will further the ties between the two countries.&rdquo; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;It is important for our two countries to have more exchanges and cooperation, this is not only good for our two countries but also of great significance to the world,&rdquo; Li said. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Smith, a Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said both sides were in agreement on the overarching aim of the visit. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&quot;Certainly, trade and economy is on the top of the list ... (but also) we&rsquo;re very focused on our military-to-military conversations,&rdquo; he said in opening remarks. &ldquo;As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I&rsquo;m deeply concerned that our two militaries don&rsquo;t communicate more.&rdquo; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The delegation also included Michael Baumgartner, a Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as Ro Khanna and Chrissy Houlahan, both Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee. The lawmakers are in China until Thursday. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">US-China relations have taken a downturn since President Donald Trump&#39;s first term and have been hobbled by trade tensions, the status of the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, Beijing&#39;s support for Russia and China&#39;s vast claims in the disputed South China Sea. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;China and the US are the two most powerful and influential countries in the world, it&rsquo;s really important that we get along, and we find a way to peacefully coexist in the world,&quot; Smith said. &quot;I really welcome your remarks about wanting to build and strengthen that relationship.&rdquo; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trump said he would meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a regional summit taking place at the end of October in South Korea and will visit China in the &ldquo;early part of next year,&rdquo; following a lengthy phone call between the two on Friday.

China's Premier Li Qiang at the  46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit 

Americas

China

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers pushed for more military-to-military dialogue in a meeting Sunday with China's Premier Li Qiang.

Articles tagged with "Talks"

Pakistan intelligence chief in Türkiye for crucial Afghan talks

Pakistan, Afghan Taliban in second round of talks in Istanbul: sources

US lawmakers call for military dialogue in rare China visit